Now flying solo, Acres CEO Kalaivanan Balakrishnan presses ahead with wildlife rescue efforts

Straits Times

12 hours ago

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Mr Kalaivanan Balakrishnan took over as the sole president of Acres in May 2025.
SINGAPORE - After four years of running a wildlife rescue non-profit with a co-pilot, Mr Kalaivanan Balakrishnan is now flying solo – and taking the challenges that come with it in his stride.
The 39-year-old – formerly one of two co-chief executives of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) – intends to continue its mission of rescuing all needy wildlife, even those that may not be cute or cuddly.
Ms Anbarasi Boopal, the other former Acres co-chief executive,
stepped down from her role on April 30. She plans to work on policies on the welfare of farmed animals next.
The pair had originally taken on the co-chief executive roles in 2021, when Acres founder Louis Ng relinquished the role to focus on politics. He served as a PAP MP for Nee Soon GRC for a decade, from 2015 to 2025.
Ms Boopal oversaw Acres' advocacy arm, while Mr Kalaivanan managed the group's day-to-day operations, such as its efforts to rescue and rehabilitate injured wildlife.
One of his most memorable rescues was in 2018, when he helped to save a dolphin tangled in a fishing line at Bedok Jetty.
He has also been involved in rescues of more commonly seen wildlife, including Javan mynahs and kingfishers stuck in glue traps, and injured pigeons, macaques and otters.
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With Ms Boopal's departure, Mr Kalaivanan has had to take on fund-raising efforts, which he says is a big challenge for him.
'Fund-raising for wild animals is a challenge on its own, because our animals do not wag their tails, do not purr, do not meow – they don't have a cute factor,' he said in an interview on July 23 at Acres' premises in Sungei Tengah.
'Not everybody can resonate with snakes or pigeons, so to fund-raise, we need to constantly find new ways.'
Alongside a team of around 30 staff members, he is planning for Acres' upcoming gala – its largest annual fund-raising event – on Aug 16.
The organisation held its first gala in 2005. This year's ball aims to raise $400,000, with those in the last few years raising around $100,000 to $300,000.
Though galas in the past were usually held in the month of May to coincide with Acres' birthday, the 2025 gala was delayed due to the leadership transition.
The funds raised will help to cover the operating costs of its rescue hotline and in-house veterinary facilities, and fund the
expansion of its wildlife rescue centre .
In 2024, owing to a lack of funds, Acres ceased the 24-hour operations of its wildlife rescue hotline. Its rescue services now run from only 7am to 1am daily.
The organisation also lost several volunteers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
'We've been trying to attract more volunteers who can help us more consistently, but that has proven a challenge, because everybody's so busy with work in Singapore,' Mr Kalaivanan said.
Working in wildlife rescue was not always in the cards for Mr Kalaivanan, who is an industrial designer by training.
The wildlife aficionado first joined Acres in 2009 as a volunteer, before becoming a full-time staff member in 2011.
Being able to apply his design skills to help animals – be it in creating roadshow banners or building enclosures – kept him going all these years, Mr Kalaivanan said.
'At NGOs (non-government organisations) like Acres, you often have to make do with less, to do more. That's something I find very addictive,' he said.
Mr Kalaivanan helps to ensure that Acres' animal rescue, rehabilitation and repatriation efforts run smoothly.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
One of his biggest milestones was leading the construction of Acres' first animal sanctuary in 2013.
The sanctuary meant that animals saved from the illegal wildlife trade get the opportunity to bask outdoors. Prior to the construction of its outdoor sanctuary, many of Acres' rescued animals were kept in quarantine areas or indoor enclosures.
Animals such as Indian star tortoises and ball pythons are often illegally brought into Singapore to be kept as pets.
'For the first time in many years, a lot of the tortoises, turtles, could be under sunlight, feel the rain,' he said.
Having a sanctuary also opened up the opportunity for Acres to conduct private educational tours, further raising awareness about the plight of rescued animals, Mr Kalaivanan said.
Moving forward, Mr Kalaivanan's vision is for Acres to expand its premises and the breadth of its work.
Today, 129 animals – including various species of reptiles, birds and mammals – live on its 0.5ha premises, about the size of a football field.
Some animals, like the 30 pig-nosed turtles under Acres' care, are highly territorial, and have to be housed in individual enclosures, leading to significant space constraints.
'If you have insufficient space, you can keep rescuing animals, but the quality of care is going to decrease for each animal,' Mr Kalaivanan said.
As such, his top priority is to reclaim and develop the 1.5ha of previously poisoned land beside its existing premises,
which the authorities greenlit in May 2024.
Acres had originally been allocated 2ha of land in their current Sungei Tengah site, but contamination by a building contractor rendered much of it unsafe for use.
A groundwater test in December 2023 found a fall in the level of contaminants.
Prior to the construction of its outdoor sanctuary, many of Acres' rescued animals were kept in quarantine areas or indoor enclosures.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Acres hopes to approach the expansion with care, Mr Kalaivanan said, adding that a biodiversity survey had been done to identify flora and fauna potentially impacted by the expansion.
Animals that used the space included birds such as the long-tailed parakeet and common emerald dove, as well as other animals such as the plantain squirrel, reticulated python and Indochinese rat snake.
'We will keep pockets of small greenery so that wild animals like birds, snakes and turtles can continue to be there,' he said.
Acres will also continue its advocacy efforts to urge people to better co-exist with wildlife in Singapore, he said. 'If we can get people to co-exist more with nature, then we have to rescue less animals and can save resources.'
Mr Kalaivanan also hopes for Acres to strengthen its focus on cruelty-free living.
This would mean enhancing educational initiatives on veganism, and greater outreach on the origins of leather and other animal products, he said.
'My goal is to ensure that when people see Acres, they don't recognise us just for animal rescue and rehabilitation. Instead, I want them to think of animal welfare at large.'